HAYDEN, Idaho – Sandra Teal has been in the disaster restoration business for over 14 years and her passion for helping others shines through her work. “I love helping people navigate recovery from a crisis event.”
Growing up in North Idaho, she worked alongside her father, a licensed plumber, and saw the side of how to fix a problem, but had no idea what the larger picture of restoration encompassed until stumbling across it as an adult.
When a catastrophic event occurs, it is devastating for those directly affected. “There are multiple layers of grief,” shared Teal. “Especially if damage from fire or water has destroyed irreplaceable items.”
Oftentimes, the restoration process is lengthy and Teal urges people to be calm and gather as much information as possible. “Patience is critical,” she cautioned. “Trust the process and lean in.”
One of the first hurdles to overcome is learning to ask for help. “Circumstances call for a pivot, what does that look like and for how long,” said Teal. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you’ve never been in this place before. There is joy in learning through challenges.”
Teal is the Business Development Manager at ServiceMaster by Compass, a local restoration company with a team of 144 experts. The team focuses on prevention over reaction and answers calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “We give a lot of advice for free because our community needs it,” stated Teal, whose position centers around relationships and quality control.
Teal strongly encourages people to take advantage of free inspections. “We will inspect your home or business for free, and those roofs need to be inspected before the first snowfall.” The team specializes in water, fire and smoke, weather, and odor damage, as well as mold which is one of the worst contaminants in a home.
There is nothing more important than communication in Teal’s line of work. Her job involves direct communication with insurance carriers and property owners. “It’s my job to tell the story so the insurance carrier can see where they owe.” She explained that many people just assume something is covered, when a policy may not cover it. Teal focuses on getting pre-approvals and stresses the importance of not altering the environment of the damaged area before it has been completely inspected and assessed. “Don’t go rogue,” urged Teal “It causes more problems.”
“We have a whole department that deals with salvaging,” she stated. “We put the lists together and we pack, store, and clean.” Teal especially enjoys assisting with immediate needs that help alleviate feelings of panic – salvaging an infant’s favorite blanket, arranging lodging for a family, and finding food sources.
Teal highly recommends that homeowners use local insurance agents, as they know the dynamics associated with individual areas, like mountain water run offs, freeze snaps, and the urban interface.
There are tips to being proactive in case of catastrophic damage to your home. Most importantly, know what insurance coverage you have. “There is a big difference in actual cost value versus replacement cost value,” shared Teal. “You want replacement cost value.” Other things to consider are whether or not your insurance pays for alternative lodging or covers septic overflow or back-up. Have jewelry? That requires a separate policy. Expensive hobby cars stored in the garage? Those also require a separate policy.
In our area, ice dams on roofs cause a lot of problems and can lead to significant cost repairs. Unless you carry flood insurance, no damage caused by outside water coming into a structure is typically covered. So roofs and foundations are two of the most critical areas to regularly inspect and maintain.
She also suggests you take time to go through your home with a camera once a year to document what you have and where it’s located. “Open doors and drawers, it’s hard to remember these things, and keep important documents together and in a fire and water proof container.”
Teal shared that ServiceMaster by Compass is dedicated to serving our community and its team members volunteer in a variety of ways. The company supports The Isaac Foundation, Teen & Kid Closet, and Frame Your Future. The Isaac Foundation provides support for children and families touched by autism, Teen & Kid Closet serves youth in foster care or living in poverty throughout eastern Washington and North Idaho, and Frame Your Future brings skilled tradesmen and craftsmen together to give hands-on training to students and young adults interested in the building trades.
